THE STRONG DELUSION

2 THESSALONIANS 2:11

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So much in the NT concerning the deception of Satan…

 

Four Greek words used to express the idea of deception; occur seventy-one different times.

 

1.            To lead astray, to deceive.  56 times.

 

Compare:  “planet” from Greek, wandering, among the ancient any of the 7 seemingly wandering celestial bodies as distinct from the fixed stars.

 

2.            To deceive.  18 times.

 

3.            To use deceit.  15 times.

 

4.            To delude, deceive.  2 times.

 

Paul in 1 Timothy 2:14; 2 Corinthians 11:3 traces the fall of humanity ultimately to the deception of Eve by Satan.  The first reference of an important word in the Bible is almost always indicative of the significance that word is to have throughout the Scriptures.  Thus, the first time the verb occurs in the Bible is in Genesis 3:13  “The serpent beguiled me and I did eat.”

 

Deceptions described, and to appear, in the NT.

 

1.            False teachers, deceiving spirits.

 

1 Timothy 4:1,2 

2 Peter 2:1

 

These two passages when science at its greatest brilliance, research. Psychology plumbed depths of soul.  Men pride themselves, delivered from dogma, superstitions, vindictive of the past.

 

False prophets.

 

Josephus, famous account of the fall of Jerusalem. 

 

“A false prophet was the occasion of these people’s destruction.  He had made a public proclamation in the city that very day, that God commanded them to get up upon the Temple, and that there they should receive miraculous signs of their deliverance.  Now, there was then a great number of false prophets suborned by the tyrants to impose upon the people…that they might be buoyed up above fear and care by such hopes.

 

Now a man that is in adversity does easily comply with such promises; for when such a seducer makes him believe that he shall be delivered from those miseries which oppress him, then it is that the patient is full of hopes for such deliverance. 

 

There were the miserable people persuaded by these deceivers; while they did not attend nor give credit to the signs that were so evident, and did so plainly foretell their future desolation; but like men infatuated, without eyes to see or minds to consider, did not regard the denunciations that God made to them."

 

2.            False christs.

 

Matthew 24:4,5

 

Culminatory in the final anti-Christ.

1 Thessalonians 2:10 – deceit. 

:11 – text.

 

Rejecting Christ, people will flock to him.

 

3.            Satan’s last deception.

 

Revelation 20:7-10 – to deceive.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12, The awful confirmation in judgment of those who refuse the truth of the Lord.  The destiny of the unbeliever is something horrible to contemplate.

 

But how could God confirm such a thing?  Through a spiritual principle that works without fail.  Turn from the truth, turn to error, judgment, damnation.  Those who are deceived had opportunity to receive the truth of Christ but refused.  Then the principle of confirmation in it.  “No.”  Finally a rejection.

 

1.            Noah – Genesis 6:3 – “My Spirit not always strive…”

 

2.            Esau – Hebrews 12:16-17.

 

3.            Pharaoh – Exodus 8:15 – “he hardened his heart.” Then God hardened it.

 

4.            Saul – 1 Samuel 15:26 – “The Lord hath rejected thee…”

 

5.            Romans 1:24,26,28  “God gave them up.”

 

6.            1 John 5;16,17 “The sin unto death.”

 

Thief on the cross, first opportunity, trusted Jesus.  But nowhere in the Bible, instance of a man rejecting Christ, saved on deathbed.  Ecclesiastics 11:3  “Where the tree falleth, there it shall be.”

 

The secret of the believers’ victory over all deception:  adherence to the Word of the Lord.

 

Matthew 22:29

Here in the text: 2 Thessalonians 2:15, so, 2 Timothy 3:13,14-17.